Si Tu Vois Ma Mère
by Afewproblems
Summary: Set after Seven Words. Tony struggles, in the aftermath of Captain America: Civil War, with the loss of his husband. "I...I told you how we got married right?" The genius said eventually, spinning the gold band on his left hand as though he could crack the combination the longer he manipulated the metal. "Some of it, yeah Tones," the Colonel murmured after a beat...


"Turn that off,"

Rhodey looked up from the papers on the oak coffee table before him, wrinkles of surprise etched on his tired face. Across the sunken living room, Tony stood- or hung rather like a marionette- frozen in the doorway; the usual slump of his shoulders replaced by the taut string of hurt.

It had been a few days since the Colonel had seen Tony, who had developed a habit of hiding in his husband's study whenever demands from General Ross grew too difficult to ignore - which happened more often than not. His Black Sabbath T-Shirt was rumpled and stained from a lack of washing. The normally immaculate goatee Tony sported was beginning to sprout into a sloppy beard and the bruised bags beneath his brown eyes darkened more with each day.

Rhodey grimaced.

"Tony...turn wha-"

"FRIDAY. Turn. That. Off." The engineer spat as he crossed the space in four determined strides, stopping in front of the entertainment center.

At once the jazzy french tune ceased, taking all the air from the room with it.

"Sir?" the AI intoned, her Irish accent curling around the word. Rhodey winced at the wretched shudder that wracked Tony's small frame.

"Delete that track from the Stark files. Immediately." He snapped quietly, keeping his gaze to the main floor camera FRIDAY controlled; his left hand twitched slightly.

"...Of course sir, my apologies Mr. Stark."

Tony sighed at the insecurity in her voice, face crumpling into a frown; his eyes flicked once to Rhodey and then back to the camera.

"It's not your fault FRIDAY, you didn't know…"

Tony turned his head to Rhodey, his mouth attempted to curve into a smile that didn't reach his all but collapsed onto the couch next to his best friend, buckling like the strings could no longer bear his weight.

"I...I told you how we got married right?" The genius said eventually, spinning the gold band on his left hand as though he could crack the combination the longer he manipulated the metal.

"Some of it, yeah Tones," the Colonel murmured after a beat.

Tony's voice was rough from lack of use, this being the longest interaction they'd had after the letter had been delivered.

"Well you already know it was small, like really small...the whole whirlwind thing really took us for a loop...I think we asked some local to be our witness...and man you wouldn't think it, but the Parisian government was really accommodating to two strange Americans itchin' for a quickie wedding," he chuckled lowly, without mirth. Rhodey nodded slowly, frozen for fear of breaking whatever spell had taken hold of Tony.

"Well, we managed to snag dinner after at this hole in the wall joint that was playing Sidney Bechet songs all night...our first dance as a couple was to that-that stupid…"

Tony stopped as his voice failed on a hitched breath.

"Have you...have you called him Tones?" Rhodey whispered as he reached to still the engineers fidgeting hands.

Tony shut his eyes and shook his head minutely.

"Nah, the world is still spinning over here on my end, for now anyway, so...no need to Honeybear," the words tumbled away from his lips so nonchalantly, "Steve doesn't…"

Tony cleared his throat and looked away, eyes suddenly bright.

" _I_ don't need him…"

Rhodey nodded at the words, wanting nothing more than for it to be true.

"Of course Tony".

 **CACW**

 _I'm planning my own wedding and this song came up for me as an option for my first dance. All of a sudden a vision of Tony hearing his wedding song after the events of Civil War popped into my head and I couldn't get to the computer fast enough. This is the result. SO MUCH ANGST. I'M SO SORRY (not really)._

 _P.S The title is borrowed from the Sidney Bechet song that inspired this piece, it is the opening song used in Woody Allen's film Midnight in Paris (2011) and I'm very excited to dance to it with my 'husband to be'._

 _Anyways, please let me know what you think with a review!_


End file.
